Dec 11, 2011

I'm back! Well to be true it's a week since I am back but I really needed a break.

I had a great time at the Kensington Dollhouse Festival and London is wonderful.

I could only stroll around on Sunday so I saw very few of the city but what I saw was Magnificent!

And as usual I forgot my camera!

As promised before leaving for UK, here is a free pattern to crochet a miniature cactus.

The diameter of the pot is just 10 mm and the cactus is crocheted with cotton thread #12 and hook #1.0 mm (USA #10 - UK #4).

Feel free to use items made from this pattern however you wish, but I’d appreciate credit as the pattern designer. If you have any questions or suggestions regarding this pattern please email me.
Please do not reproduce the pattern anywhere else; instead post a link to this blog post.

Enjoy!

Micro Cactus

Tips

To start your work make an adjustable ring. The advantage of this method is that, unlike the regular “chain 2, x single crochet in 2nd chain from hook” method, there is no hole left in the middle of your starting round.

Crochet in continuous spirals without joining the rounds.
To do this simply work into the first stitch of the previous round and each stitch thereafter.

You will need a stitch marker to keep track of where the beginning of each round starts (in such a small scale use a piece of thread in a different color); move the marker to the beginning of each round after the previous round is completed.

Rounds are worked in a counterclockwise direction, usually with the right side facing. Each row is described completely in the pattern. At the end of each row you can read what the number of stitches are for that particular round (and if you count the stitches you can avoid the use of a stitch marker!).

Abbreviations

The pattern is written in American terminology, which differs somewhat from UK terminology, UK terms are those in brackets.

beg – begin/beginning

rnd(s) – round(s)

dec – decrease

inc – increase

sl – slip stitch (same as UK sc)

sc – single crochet (same as UK dc)

sc2tog – single crochet 2 stitches together

tog – together

st – stitch

lp(s) – loops

FO – fasten off

*…* - Sets apart a group of stitches to be repeated as a whole.

Finished Size

Depends on what kind of thread you use, the thinner the thread the smaller the cactus.
The one I made is 14mm tall with the pot.
The hook size I mention is a suggested size. If you crochet more firmly or looser than I do, you will need a smaller or a larger hook size. A larger hook and thicker thread will give you bigger stitches and a bigger cactus.

Materials and Supplies

Here is a list of the stuff you will need.
(If you want to use worsted weight yarn you’ll have to choose the right hook and pot size.)

Cotton thread #12 in in the following colors: Green and Brown, and one strand of Red or Yellow to make the little dots;

Hook: 1.0 mm (USA #10 - UK #4);

I stitched the little flowers with French Knots but if you prefer you can use tiny 1mm round beads;

A little pot of 10 mm diameter;

Sewing needle;

Polyester fiberfill;

Small tweezers or a toothpick for stuffing

Soil BaseRound 1 – with brown make an adjustable
ring and work 5sc into the ring, (OR ch 2, 5 sc in 2nd ch from
hook), do not join, place a marker to mark the first stitch of the next round
(5 sts);
Round 2 - [2 sc in each st] 5 times (10
sts);Round 3 - 4 - sc in each st around (10 sts);
Round 5 - sc2tog 5 times (5 sts);
FO with sl st in next sc, leaving long end for sewing.Stuff firmly the soil base with poly-fill as tightly as you can get it.
Using the yarn and a small needle close up the hole by stitching back and forth across the little opening then run the thread through the soil base to hide it.

CactusRound 1 - with green make an adjustable ring and work 6 sc into the ring, (OR ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook), do not join, place a marker to mark the first stitch of the next round (6 sts);
Round 2 - [2 sc in each st] 6 times (12 sts);Round 3 - 5 - sc in each st around (12 sts);Round 6 - sc2tog 6 times (6 sts);FO with sl st in next sc, leaving long end for sewing.
Stuff the cactus with poly-fill as tightly as you can get it and carefully trim excess stuffing fibers that trail from the opening.

Finishing
Sew the cactus to the dirt base.
Embroider the little dots onto the cactus using a French knot in a
position that seems pleasing to you. If you
are not familiar with French knots, you can use small round red beads.
Now, with white glue, glue your little cactus into the pot and enjoy!

Dec 2, 2011

I've been so busy during these last months preparing new minis for the shows.!
I will be this Saturday at the Kensington Dollhouse Festival in London and this will be my last show for this year (I am so tired!!).
If someone is coming, please stop by my table and say hello I'm always so happy to add a face to a name!
As soon as I'll be back I will post a free crochet pattern to make a micro mini cactus, and if you want to make a special Christmas gift, this is easy to crochet, nice, and superfast
to make!!!.
I made some with the little pots that Roberta of "Le Miniature di Eurosia" made for me with tiny gnomes and bears, they are awesome!
See you next week.

Sep 3, 2011

These two little boys are full jointed and movable, the head turns and the limbs move so they can stand or seat. They are able to stand on their own because of the long tail that helps a lot.
The dolls are full jointed too but have no tail LOL!!!
The sock monkeys are still waiting for a good home (they are here) while the little dolls will come with me in Arnhem in October (even if I don't know if I will be able to part with them)!
I am also working on pumpkins and gourds but I will post pictures as soon as I make them a little body!

P.S. which is the right way to write the word sock monkey? Sock Monkey or Sockmonkey?
Suggestions are welcome ....

Aug 24, 2011

Life has been so busy during July and now we already are at the end of August, ohh how fast time goes!
As soon as I come back from Paris I received an email from Charlotte saying that I was admitted to the Kensington Dollhouse Festival of December, yeah, now I have to work hard for the next months (I will post later my table number).
I leaved for the sea with the kids on the first half of July and I am lucky enough to be still here.
We hadn't a great time on July, rough sea and cloudy and rainy days, here is a view from our front window:

On August the weather is wonderful even if during these days is too hot (35° C) so we are home till 5 p.m. (making minis - me - and homework - the kids), and at the shore till 8.30 p.m.

Here is the view from our rear window:

On July it was also my birthday and look what I found while I was food shopping on that day:

I also have two heart shaped M&M's (well to be true I only have pictures of them because ... hem ... yes, I am greedy) and a bunch of heart shaped stones.
And last but not least here is what I made (and am making right now):

Dollies!!! I made them with cold porcelain and my wonder hook. They are full jointed and movable, the head turns and the arms and legs move, I think they are funny, aren't they?

Jun 13, 2011

Next Saturday I will be in Paris for the SIMP, if you want to come and say hello my table (despite what is written in the site) is nr. 11.
I will be there with my "Friend in Fairs" Lory, she's not mentioned on the site but she will share the table with me.
Here is a little preview of what you can see in person:

This little Hello Kitty is just 17 mm tall and full jointed! This means that she can move the arms, legs, and even turn the head!
I also made another little dog (unusual due to its color) veeery small and full jointed too, just 10 mm tall, here it is next to my ruler:

And here trying to jump on a pull toy (poor little guy, so small even for the pull toy LOL):

These pictures are for Christine, who guessed what the green spots on the little shelf of my table in Madrid were. Here is the smallest mouse ever:

I am leaving for Madrid for the Bishop's Dollhouse Miniature Show and before the take off I wanted to show you my latest works.I am in the embroidery mood right now so I made a lot of works with my mini needle.First here are bath towels, they are made like the ones my granny had when she got married, mine are cotton hers were linen (but it was such a trouble to iron them!).

The little stitches are less than 1mm high (yes, I know, it was a challenge!)And what about samplers? They are cross stitched and hubby made me the frames:

Mar 18, 2011

Hellooo, I am very sorry for the long absence but life is just so busy and sometimes my priorities have to lie elsewhere.But now I'm here and I want to show you something that is making me happy at the moment:

Cactus, cacti and succulents have been my passion since when I was a little child.I think that I inherited this passion from my granny. She was a very special person and had an extraordinary "green thumb" for all kind of plants and flowers and not only cacti.She was always my first fan and supporter when I decided to focus on a new hobby and I think that she would have gone crazy for these miniature cacti.I crocheted them with a 1.0 mm hook (US size #10) and Finca Cotton thread #12, I did not follow a pattern and they are all made free hand.Next week I will be at the Dollhouse Miniature Show in Arnhem (The Netherlands) and I will bring a lot of them with me.Not only, as I think they are very easy to make, I decided to make some kits to sell at the show. I just hope the little wooden pots I bought for the kits arrive on time safe and sound here to me.Hmmmm why it always takes so many time for things to arrive here in Italy? Who knows ...

Feb 1, 2011

Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over,it became a butterfly ...

Do you like butterflies? If so, I wrote a tutorial for the CDHM on how to make a miniature paper butterfly. You can use them to grow a butterfly garden or to embellish toadstools and dioramas.Take a peek and Enjoy!

Jan 18, 2011

I was asked some time ago to make a miniature baby sock monkey.I LOOOVE sock monkeys!!Even if I have never had one I think that they are so funny.The customer was so happy with her new baby sock monkey, that I thought I could make a pattern out of it.The one I made was smaaaaaller than the one of the new pattern, but as you know I am insane when I challenge myself in going smaller and smaller.This one is crocheted with a 0.8mm hook and #12 cotton thread and is very easy to make (or so I suppose).The worst part of making it was taking pictures!It's a week since we have fog here and even if outside there's a nice light, taking pictures inside is a nightmare!Finally here is what I came up with: